Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling and combining a plurality of sheets. It dates back thousands of years and is used every day in the creation of books, magazines, notebooks, albums, and manuals, among other examples. Several different methods or types of bookbinding have been developed. Which type of binding is preferred or employed depends on various factors of the project, including but not limited to, cost, size, aesthetics, and functionality. Some, but not all, aspects of functionality that are important to a user of a book are if the book can open flat (i.e. open to reveal the full area of the sheet), how many sheets the book can hold, if the sheets are permanently bound or if they can be removed and replaced, if the book is convenient to carry around, if the sheets can be rotated completely around the spine, and if the book is durable, i.e. how well it can withstand the “wear-and-tear” of its intended use. A description of current bookbinding types is explained below.
Saddle stitched is a common method whereby a wire or series of wires (e.g. a series of staples) are punched through a book's outside spine and then bent flat to grip a group of sheets that are folded around the wire or wires. This method is cost effective; however, it cannot easily bind many sheets, the sheets are permanently bound, and the sheets cannot rotate completely around the spine. Stab stitched or side stitched uses a wire or thread that is inserted into the front cover, through the sheets, and out of the back cover instead of along the spine. This method is cost effective; however, the sheets cannot open flat, the sheets are permanently bound, and the sheets cannot rotate completely around the spine. Sewn bound is similar to saddle stitched, but it is sewn with a thread instead of a wire. This method is aesthetically preferred by some; however, it is costly, it cannot easily bind many sheets, the sheets are permanently bound, and the sheets cannot rotate completely around the spine. Perfect bound is a method whereby different sections of folded sheets (called signatures) are grouped together along each section's folded side and glued to a cover. This method is cost effective; however, the sheets cannot open flat, the sheets are permanently bound, and the sheets cannot rotate completely around the spine. Hardcover or case bound typically involves signatures being sewn together and then glued to a cover. This method can bind many pages; however, it is expensive, the sheets cannot open flat, the sheets are permanently bound, and the sheets cannot rotate completely around the spine. Ring bound is a method whereby a ring or a series of rings is looped through a hole or a series of holes in a group of sheets in a manner where the ring can be either permanently connected or temporarily connected and opened on demand by a user. This method can be cost effective; however, the ring or rings—being not flush with the book—can be obtrusive and are prone to damage. Spiral bound is a method whereby a smooth round coil is looped through holes in the sheets to hold them together. This method is cost effective; however, the sheets are permanently bound, the coil—being rigid and not flush with the book—can be obtrusive, and the coil can easily get bent or otherwise damaged.
Additionally, all of the current types of bookbinding have common issues and inadequacies. As just one example, all of the current options have spines that are inflexible or will damage the sheets or the binding upon perpendicular (i.e. horizontal) flexure. This can be undesirable for many reasons. As just one example, it is common that people carry their book (e.g. a notebook or a pocket sized paperback book) in their back pocket, and carrying a book bound with the current methods in one's back pocket will cause discomfort to the carrier and/or damage to the book through the normal flexures involved in walking and sitting, among other everyday motions. As another example, certain preferred shipping rates and options offered by the United States Postal Service require that the shipment be flexible (in this instance meaning at least one inch of flexibility in each dimension) and uniformly thick (in this instance meaning that the item cannot have more than a ¼ inch variance in thickness). The inflexible spine and/or non-uniform thickness prevent most books bound by these methods from qualifying for these preferred shipping options.
Therefore, despite the long history and many different types of bookbinding, there remains a need for improved bookbinding methods or types. In particular, there is a need for a cost-effective type of bookbinding that provides for perpendicular flexure of the spine without damaging the binding or sheets. Additionally, it may be beneficial in certain applications that a book with such binding is uniform in thickness, comfortable and convenient to carry around (e.g. to carry in one's back pocket), provides for removable or replaceable sheets, can open flat, can bind many sheets, provides for sheets that do not have to be folded, provides for sheets to rotate completely around the spine, is aesthetically pleasing, can be produced in a variety of sizes and shapes, and is durable. The invention of this application presents the first such technology that can provide all of these benefits.